A Day in the Lives of
by sherridin
Summary: Rogue, Jean, and Scott are having a bad day.
1. Rogue

Thestroy's basically about one of those days- nothing special. Just read to see. It's set somewhere in season two after Power Surge. And also, it's my first time to write Rogue, so be nice, people, and tell me what you think.

A Day in the Lives of...

-sherridin-

Rogue 

The day was irritating Rogue.

It started by being late for her first class.

It went on at lit when Mrs. Gibbs caught her sleeping when they were in the middle of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act three, Scene one.

During gym, she had to endure the girls' stares and whispers when she wore her usual PE attire of jogging pants and long sleeved shirt while every other girl wore shorts and cute tops.

By lunch, she was seriously thinking of cutting the rest of the day.

"Sorry!" the guy who bumped Rogue called out.

Her food tray was almost knocked over but she quickly balanced it. "Watch where you're going," she muttered.

"Somebody's grumpy." He elbowed his friend and they started snickering.

"Careful, goth girl might just do a voodoo spell on you," his friend jeered. "Woooo…"

"That's a good idea. Maybe I can make a miniature dolly of you and stick a needle up its ass," Rogue replied sweetly.

The blonde friend glared at her. "You think that's funny? You better watch your step."

"I'm really scared now," Rogue sneered, immediately liking the way blonde boy was getting redder in the face.

"If you weren't a freakin' girl, I would've –"

"Any problems, Rogue?" Scott interrupted.

Rogue glared at them. "It's nothing. Just ran across these jerks."

"Who are you calling a jerk, bitch?" the blonde guy asked menacingly.

"Beat it, Duncan," Scott warned.

His eyes flickered. "Why? What are you gonna do about it, Summers?"

Rogue watched as the two boys held their stance.

"Hey, guys."

It was Jean. "Everyone okay?"

Rogue saw Scott and Duncan back off at Jean's presence.

_Great_. Rogue rolled her eyes. _Just what I need. A rescue from Ms. Popularity._

Jean looked at Scott and Rogue and then at Duncan. "Can I steal you for a sec?" Jean asked pointedly, steering Duncan away.

Rogue noticed Scott frowning at Duncan's direction.

Rogue scowled. She doesn't need this right now. She walked away but then Scott caught up with her. "Hey, Rogue, you okay?"

"I didn't need your help to ward off those low lifes, you know."

Scott raised his eyebrows. "I know that."

"So mind your own business the next time," she snapped.

"You _are_ grumpy today," Scott commented.

"Whatever."

Scott looked over to where Jean and Duncan were. They looked like they're arguing.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease, it's Jean's business if she likes to go out with that narcissistic oaf."

With a backward glance, Scott asked more to himself than to Rogue, "What does she ever see in him?"

What do _you_ ever see in _her_? She thought.

Rogue set her tray down at a nearby table and sat down.

"Hey, don't you want to sit with us?" Scott asked, nodding towards the x-men's usual table.

Rogue looked over to where Kurt and Evan were grossing Kitty out with cafeteria food.

"Watching blue boy chew with his mouth open won't help me keep my appetite."

Scott hesitated then shrugged. "Okay, see you around."

When he left, Rogue looked around for Risty. They usually have lunch together. Guess she didn't show for school today. Rogue's look stopped at her tray. The macaroni and cheese looked almost neon yellow and the buttered vegetables were swimming in oil.

Rogue grabbed the only edible thing in her tray, an apple, and headed out to the courtyard. She sat on the lower steps and took a bite.

She looked at the blue sky. It's a nice, warm day.

Rogue pinched a part of her green netty long-sleeved shirt and held it away from her body to let air in. Although the shirt doesn't make her hot, she still rather feel the air on bare skin.

She remembered gym class again. The other girls were talking behind her back.

"Why is she always covered up? I mean, it's practically summer and she's wearing long sleeves for gym class?"

"Maybe she has a skin condition. The kind where you can't expose it with sunlight."

"Or what? she'll melt like a vampire?"

The two girls giggled.

At that point, Rogue turned around to look at them and snapped, "If you're going to gossip about people, at least make sure they don't hear it."

Rogue frowned. If they only knew why she had to keep her skin under wraps. Sometimes when she hears people talk about her like that, she wanted to just touch them and watch their smug faces disappear.

Rogue shook her head. No, she doesn't. She doesn't want to hurt anyone.

Yeah, she does, a small voice in her head says. Hurt them just enough to make them stop saying things about you.

_No_, she thought. _What would Scott think of me when he sees what I'm thinking?_

Rogue sighed. Not that it would matter when all he sees is Jean.

How can a decent guy fall for someone as empty as her?

Rogue knows that Jean's pretty and nice and smart– but in an empty way like she has no personality at all.

She's nothing but perfection. And isn't that just boring?

"Just leave me alone, okay?"

Rogue was surprised to hear Jean's voice.

A second person burst through the doors.

"Jean, come back here."

Rogue peered from behind the wall and saw Duncan walking towards Jean.

"Jean, come on, I 'm sorry alright?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. _Just what I need to hear, a lover's quarrel._

"No, you keep doing this! Why are you mean to my friends?"

"Why do you hang out with them in the first place? I know you live with them but that doesn't mean you _have to_ hang out with them."

"Because they're my friends," Jean yelled exasperatedly.

"But they're… weird. Summers have this eye condition. Goth girl's rumored to be a vampire-"

"Hey!" Rogue protested from her spot.

"and the others…I don't know them, they're ninth graders right?"

"I don't believe this," Jean muttered.

"The point is they're not like us."

"What do you mean _like us_?"

"You know, cool…popular."

Rogue saw the look on Jean's face and thought she's gonna blow up but instead she just turned on her heel and walked off.

Duncan sighed. "Come on, what do you have against being popular? You're like avoiding being popular. I mean, you could have been a cheerleader but you turned down the offer. You don't hang out with the crowd at Tate's on weekends anymore. And you barely sit with us during lunch."

"Duncan, I'm serious. Leave me alone right now or I'll just scream at you!"

He ignored the remark. "A lot of people likes you Jean, but you just rather stick with those fre—"

Jean turned around sharply to face him. "Those _what_, Duncan?"

Duncan heard the tone of her voice and backed off. "Those, um, friends of yours."

"If being cool and popular matters so much to you then find another girl who shares your pathetic opinion!"

"But I don't want anyone else… You're good for me."

Rogue groaned.

Jean shook her head.

"Yo Dunc!" Some of his friends were waving at him across the courtyard.

"Just go over to your _cool _friends," Jean said sarcastically.

Duncan squeezed her shoulders. "I'll talk to you later when your temper's mellowed down."

Jean continued walking towards Rogue's direction that Rogue panicked and tried to stand up and sneak off silently. But her movement caught Jean's eye.

"Rogue?"

* * *

The next chapter will be about Jean's POV.


	2. Jean

This chapter is supposed to be Jean's POV but it kinda got mixed up with Rogue's...

* * *

Jean 

Jean was not having a good day.

First she was late for homeroom.

By her second class, her telepathy was starting to act up that she began picking up stray thoughts again. The voices were getting so loud in her head that she didn't notice when Mr. Lumbar called on her.

This earned her a lecture and detention from the usually mild mannered professor. But Jean didn't protest. She just picked up a thought from Mr. Lumbar that his wife wanted a divorce, and Jean felt sorry for him.

By lunch, Jean had fortunately regained control of her tp. If she didn't, it'll be hell for her in the cafeteria.

She was heading for the lunch line when she saw a small group of people arguing.

"Who are you calling a jerk, bitch?"

It was Duncan.

"Beat it, Duncan."

Now it was Scott.

"Why? What are you gonna do about it, Summers?"

Jean quickly joined the group. "Hey, guys. Everyone okay?"

Jean looked at Scott and gave him a fleeting exasperated look that said _what's wrong now?_

Scott shook his head ever so slightly.

Jean grabbed Duncan's arm and dragged him away. "Can I steal you for a sec?" Jean asked pointedly.

Duncan muttered, "What is it with Summers and his ability to pop right in whenever I'm having some fun."

"Define fun?" Jean asked icily. "Were you just bullying Rogue?"

"Yeah, goth girl. She's being such a bitch."

_I bet she's just really pissed off._ At their gym class a while ago, she heard two girls talking about her and her choice of gym wear.

Jean glared at Duncan. "Her name's Rogue and don't make the mistake of irritating her. You'll regret it."

"Oooh, I'm scared. Why? What'll she do?"

Jean looked upwards. If he only knew. If he pisses Rogue enough, he might just push her to take her gloves off.

"I live with her, remember? I know how angry she can get."

"You know I never figured out why you live with those bunch. Why did your parents send you to that weirdo boarding house anyway?"

"It's not a weirdo boarding house. I happen to love it there," she said coolly.

"But the company you have there sucks. Take Scott for example. He's one uptight-"

"Shut up! You know he's my best friend." Jean yelled. "Don't talk about him like that."

Jean stalked out of the cafeteria and to the courtyard.

She turned to see that he was following her. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Jean, come on, I 'm sorry alright?"

"No, you keep doing this! Why are you mean to my friends?"

"Why do you hang out with them in the first place? I know you live with them but that doesn't mean you _have to_ hang out with them."

"Because they're my friends," Jean yelled exasperatedly. _Stop it, Jean,_ she told herself. _You can't lose it, not today when your telepathy's not as controlled._ She started to silently count from one to ten.

"But they're… weird. Summers have this eye condition. Goth girl's rumored to be a vampire and the others…I don't know them, they're ninth graders right?"

When she heard that, Jean had to recount again.

All throughout the fight, Jean tried to keep her cool but found that she couldn't, not when he's insulting the people that she cared about the most.

She can't understand their relationship most of the time. Sure he can be sweet and caring and considerate but there would be times when he's just a big pain like he is now.

It made Jean wonder why she put up with Duncan in the first place. Scott often asks her that. But Jean figured Scott's just playing the role of the protective big brother so she didn't take his reaction seriously.

When Duncan finally left, she couldn't see straight.

Lunch was about to be over, she has to go inside any moment now.

_Walk the anger off, Jean._ _Walk it off,_ she told herself.

Suddenly she noticed a movement.

"Rogue?"

"Erm..." she stammered.

"So um, you heard all that?"

"I wasn't eavesdropping! I was just here and then you guys started talking, so…"

Jean exhaled and waved it off. "It's fine."

Rogue was about to leave but couldn't resist asking the million-dollar question. "So why do you stay with that jerk anyway?"

"I don't know…I like him…I _used_ to like him…" Jean sighed. "But he's not totally a jerk. He can be nice too."

"Really? He can?" Rogue said sarcastically. "Kinda hard to tell the moron can be anything but."

Jean replied, "If you judge him like that then you're only as bad as he is."

"What?" Rogue reacted.

"You form your opinion of Duncan but you barely know him. That's the way he judges you, Scott, and the rest too."

Rogue glared at Jean. The sympathy she felt for her when she and Duncan were arguing was evaporating quickly.

"I recognize an asshole when I see one."

"You're wrong."

"Geez, Jean, quit being so frickin' nice. You were just arguing with him a minute ago! Why are you taking his side?"

"Maybe I just want to see the better side of people!" Jean said angrily. "But judging from my talk with you and Duncan, maybe you're right. I should just stay bitter and sulk."

Rogue smirked. "Bitter and sulk? Was that line for me? Oh goody, finally you're being mean."

"Don't tempt me."

Rogue laughed. "Why, am I supposed to be scared?"

Jean glared at her. Rogue was enjoying arguing too much.

"Maybe you should."

"Finally, I'm seeing a different side of you. That goody two shoes act is getting old."

"I'm not a goody two shoes!" Jean protested, "And my being nice is not an act."

"Isn't it?"

Jean was silent. Rogue struck a nerve there.

Sometimes Jean wonders herself. But really, she can't help but be nice sometimes. Her telepathy makes her understand people. Ever since her powers emerged, she gained a whole new perspective by seeing through their façade. People can be cruel but behind those actions there's fear, insecurity, loneliness, abuse, and anger amongst other things.

Rogue added, "No one's that nice, Jean. It's just not normal."

"I'm not normal. I'm a telepath."

"So?"

"When you touch people, you get to know them inside out. You understand them. It's like that for me too."

Rogue was silent for a moment. "Just because you see their thoughts doesn't mean you should judge them _by_ their thoughts."

Jean partly agreed but she just can't help but see them differently from their actions.

Jean's eyes drifted to the dense bushes a few feet away from her. She felt funny.

The warning bell broke through her thoughts.

Jean walked towards the door while Rogue went to the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?"

"Cutting class. Wanna join me?" Rogue asked sweetly, knowing fully well that Jean would decline.

"No, thanks," she replied quickly, hating that her reply would further strengthen Rogue's theory. "Besides the professor won't like it."

"Oh come on, he never gets mad at you. You're his prized pupil," she said dryly.

"That's not true," Jean objected, hating to be seen as the "teacher's pet."

But Rogue knew better. She remembered the time when she overheard the professor's conversation with Storm. They were at the danger room control center, talking about the students' progress with their powers.

"-I'm worried about Jean though. Her powers are accelerating too quickly. It might not be wise to take out the dampeners in her mind."

"Don't worry Ororo. I believe it's time for her to get used to her full potential. The earlier she begins the better."

"I know she's a very responsible teenager but still a teen no less. Wielding that much power in her age might corrupt her. "

"Perhaps for someone else that could be a danger, but this is Jean. I trust that she can handle this."

Rogue could practically hear the pride in the professor's voice.

With that conversation in mind, a thought hit Rogue. Maybe the reason why Jean's so frickin' nice was because no one expects her to be anything less. She's the model student, the caring friend, the helpful team member, the considerate girlfriend…

Maybe it's just in her nature. But then again maybe it's not and she's just living up to what others think…

It's a tough list to follow.

"Think about it," Rogue said, now loosing the taunt in her voice, "We can go to the mall or something."

Jean's stomach grumbled. She had forgotten to eat lunch. Mall sounded like a good idea. And she'd like to see Scott's reaction when he learned she played hooky for once.

"Sound's really tempting but I'll pass. Besides I have detention."

"Really?" Rogue sounded incredulous. "What did you do?"

Jean shook her head and laughed. "Tell you later. I'm going in now."

"Okay. Suit yourself."

Rogue left smiling a bit.

* * *

Thanks very much for the reviews!They kept me chapter would be Scott's POV.


	3. Scott

Scott

Scott was having a bad day.

First he was late for homeroom.

Then they had a pop quiz on the chapter about Persian wars which he didn't get to read..

In gym class, Paul tripped during laps and knocked Scott over, causing him to loose his shades. He didn't close his eyes quickly enough so for a second, tufts of grass and dirt flew all over the place.

By lunch, he was thinking how he prefers danger room sessions than school any day.

Scott pulled a chair from their usual table and sat down.

"I think they're trying to poison us," Kurt said, poking his fork at the macaroni and cheese.

"Dude, the sauce has the color of my fluorescent yellow marker," Evan quipped.

Kitty joined in. "This can't be healthy right?"

Kurt tentatively tasted a macaroni.

Evan looked on with interest like he's expecting Kurt to spit it out.

Kurt gave his verdict, "Well, just like everything around here, it looks horrible but perfectly edible."

Kurt and Evan dove in.

Kitty made a face. "Ulk, I'll just grab a veggie wrap or something."

Scott rose up. "I'm getting something else too."

"You better watch your step."

Scott looked up and saw Duncan and Rogue.

"I'm really scared now."

"If you weren't a freakin' girl, I would've –"

"Any problems Rogue?" Scott glared at Duncan. Typical of him to cause trouble.

If there's one thing Scott hates, it's bullies. Just because they're bigger and stronger or popular and favored doesn't give them the right to pick on the others. In the orphanage, he used to be the one being bullied. He'd end up in trash cans, in lockers, in the ditch. He vowed when he grew up, he'll help those like him.

"Beat it, Duncan," Scott warned.

"Why? What are you gonna do about it, Summers?" His eyes flickered.

"Hey, guys."

Scott knew it was Jean.

And he knew how exasperated she gets whenever he and Duncan get into a fight.

"He's a jerk, Jean." He told her one time.

"Well, I'm going out with that jerk," she snapped, "So be nice."

"Everyone okay?"

Jean gave Scott an exasperated look.

Scott gave back a look that said _don't blame it on me_.

Jean grabbed Duncan's arm. "Can I steal you for a sec?"

Scott had this burning feeling at the pit of his stomach.

He looked at them and scowled. When he turned to Rogue, she had gone ahead.

"Hey, Rogue, you okay?"

"I don't need your help to ward off those low lifes, you know."

Scott raised his eyebrows. "I know that."

"So mind your own business the next time."

"You _are_ grumpy today," Scott commented.

Scott looked over to where Jean and Duncan were. They looked like arguing.

And he was damn jealous.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease, it's Jean's business if she likes to go out with that narcissistic oaf."

"What does she ever see in him?" he muttered.

As Rogue has nicely put, he's a narcissistic oaf. So what has he got that Scott doesn't?

Snapping back to reality, Scott asked, "Hey, don't you want to sit with us?"

"Watching blue boy chew with his mouth open won't help me keep my appetite."

Scott opened his mouth to invite her again but decided not to push it. "Okay, see you around."

This is one of those times when Rogue's cut off from them. They'd try to reach out, but she'd refuse their offer.

But Scott understood why she's like that. In a lot of ways, they're the same. They're cautious of letting people be close to them because of their powers. In Rogue's case, this is multiplied by a thousand times. At least Scott has his glasses to contain his beams.

Sharing this feeling, there were moments when Scott would connect with her and see a softer side of the usually angry girl.

"You're the only one who can really talk to Rogue," Jean had once told him. "I couldn't"

"Yeah? She can be easy to talk to."

"To you maybe."

Scott wriggled his eyebrows. "I guess it's because I'm such a people person."

Scott expected her to laugh but instead saw a telling look on Jean's face.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered. Then she smiled "Yeah, maybe it's the people skills."

Scott grabbed a burger and went back to their table.

When he looked up, he saw Jean and Duncan walk out of the cafeteria.

Kurt saw his friend's face and sighed. "Tell Jean how you feel about her already."

"What?"

Kitty, Kurt and Evan exchanged a three-way look.

"Dude, you're driving us crazy with all that secret pining. I say less thinking and more action," Evan said.

The other two nodded.

"I don't pine," Scott protested.

"Yes, you do," they replied in unison.

"I've noticed it since like, the day I arrived at the institute. And it's getting worse." Kitty confirmed.

"Yeah man, 'profess your love' already and save us the misery of being in a 24/7 soap."

A dreaded thought came over Scott. "So if all of you know that I like Jean, does she know?"

Kurt, Evan, and Kitty all shrugged.

"Jean must know by now. I mean it's too obvious," Kurt spoke. "Plus she is a telepath you know?"

"No, no, usually the 'object of affection' is the last person to know."

"'object of affection'? 'profess your love'?" Kitty giggled. "Where did you get those?"

Evan made a face. "We're studying classic romance novels in comparison to contemporary love stories."

"Yuck!" Kurt expressed.

"I know. It's making me think like a chick," Evan said sadly.

"Sounds interesting to me," Kitty piped. "But tell me this, how can a girl single-handedly self-destruct a cool and composed, logical guy like him?" Kitty jabbed her thumb at Scott who was too preoccupied with his thoughts to listen to them.

Evan shrugged. "We're still figuring out that one."

"Hallo." Kurt was waved his hand in front of Scott's face. "Come on, find Jean and tell her," he urged.

Scott pushed his hand away. "Can't do that."

"Why not?"

_Why not?_ Scott thought incredulously. _Because I'm the leader of the x-men, because she's my best friend, because I'm scared of rejection, because I don't know what'll happen if she says no..._

"I mean it's not like you're asking her to marry you." Evan scoffed.

Evan couldn't see but Scott glared at him.

"Look, Jean and Duncan are fighting right?" Kitty said thoughtfully, "Maybe you could like, console her and then go from there."

The three x-men looked at their fearless leader eagerly.

Realizing he won't hear the end of this unless he did something, Scott grumbled. "Okay. Okay."

They cheered him on as he made his way to the courtyard.

Scott scowled. "Easy for them to sit there and tell me to tell Jean that I …"

Then he began to feel clammy. _What the hell am I supposed to say?_ he thought frantically.

He looked back at their table and saw Kitty, Kurt, and Evan grinning expectantly.

Scott grumbled some more as he pushed the doors open.

"I'm not a goody two shoes! And my being nice is not an act."

He turned to Jean's voice.

"Isn't it?"

She was talking to Rogue. What happened to Duncan?

Scott hid behind the bushes and waited to have a chance to talk to Jean alone.

"No one's that nice, Jean. It's just not normal."

Scott cringed at Rogue's remark. He knew how Jean hated being called as overly nice.

"I'm not normal. I'm a telepath."

"So?"

"When you touch people, you get to know them inside out. You understand them. It's like that for me too."

"Just because you see their thoughts doesn't mean you should judge them by their thoughts."

Scott tried to get a better view of Jean to see what she'll say to that. But when he looked at her, she was staring at his direction. He held his breath.

The warning bell rang.

Scott scooted away from the bushes and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible.

When he finally took a peek, he saw Rogue quickly running off the school grounds.

He turned his attention to Jean—who was looking at him dead straight.

"Okay, you can come out now."

Scott gulped and moved away from his hiding place.

"How long did you know?" he asked sheepishly.

"Just now."

Jean crossed her arms. "You know, you're the second one today who's eavesdropping at my conversations."

"I didn't mean to."

Jean smiled at his guilty look. "Yeah, yeah."

They went inside together and headed for their lockers.

Scott took out his calculus book. "So Rogue cut class huh?"

"Yeah, she'll get in trouble with the prof for that." Then Jean mused, "She even invited me to go with her."

"Futile attempt. You'd never do that," he said carelessly.

Scott knew he must have said something wrong when Jean slammed her locker shut loudly.

"Why? Is it so hard to believe that I can break the rules?"

"No, what I mean is-"

"Am I really such a stick in the mud?" she asked loudly. "I can be bad and rebellious. I'm not that nice!"

Scott thought that sounded funny but he didn't dare laugh.

He tried to console the redhead. "First of all there's nothing wrong by being considered as nice."

"Then why are people making such a fuss about it?" she complained. "They see it as dorky or fake or uncool or -"

"Hey, hey, I think you're transferring your anger from Duncan and Rogue to me."

Jean exhaled. "Sorry. "

"Besides who cares what other people think?"

"I know. It's stupid," she mumbled. "They just get to me sometimes. And I'm not just talking about Rogue. I mean, at least she tells me upfront what she thinks. Other people act like they like me but actually think different in their heads."

Scott suddenly understood. "You had one of those head fits again huh?"

"Yeah at Mr. Lumbar's class. The girl sitting behind me thinks I'm a fake and another one thinks I'm anorexic or something." Jean looked at her feet. "I know I'm not supposed to take those thoughts seriously, but it's just that… they can be hurtful, you know?"

Scott looked at the sad redhead. She looked so fragile all of the sudden that Scott fought the urge to hug her. She's usually so tough and composed that people neglect to see that things can be hard for her too- just like for the rest of them.

Scott tried to catch her eyes. "Forget them, Jean. They don't know you like I do. I know you're real. You're a genuinely caring, thoughtful person who's above all this high school crap."

"Thanks."

"Besides, they just haven't seen your dark, evil side yet."

Jean snorted.

"Hey, I know from firsthand experience that you can be pretty mean, Ms. Grey."

Jean paused then asked hopefully, "Really? I can?"

"You sound so desperate," he laughed.

"Shut up!"

Scott grinned, glad that she's laughing now.

Then the second bell rang.

"Shit. Late again." Jean groaned, heading towards their calculus class.

"That's a swear word! That's so badass," he teased.

Jean smacked his arm.

"Ow!"

"Move it, Slim, or you'll know badass."

And they ran across the deserted hall to get to class.

-end-

* * *

Reviews please! They're like my happy drugs. Anyway, thanks for reading and for those who reviewed: ingrid, Jen1703, Mark C, Dark Vampiresss, GothikStrawberry, Wen1, Goblyn-Queen, and Rogue14. Hope you liked it.


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